The ornamental quince, also known as the false quince, is one of the slow-growing shrubs. It therefore only needs to be cut a little. You should work carefully so that you do not accidentally remove the flower-bearing branches.
When and how should you cut ornamental quinces?
Ornamental quinces should be cut back after flowering, removing shoot tips and inwardly growing branches. Care cuts in autumn as well as rejuvenation cuts on overgrown plants promote growth and flower formation.
Ornamental quinces only bloom on perennial wood
Japanese and Chinese quinces only develop their flowers and later the fruits on branches that are at least three years old. The first pruning is therefore only carried out after the third year after planting.
Flowers do not form on one- and two-year-old shoots. Be careful when pruning and pay attention to which branches you cut.
For older plants, it is usually sufficient if you only use scissors every three years.
Prune after flowering
A good time to cut back the quince is directly after flowering. In doing so, remove the shoot tips and all branches that grow inwards.
You should only remove one- and two-year-old shoots if they are too close together or protrude strongly from the bush.
When pruning, remember that your ornamental quince will not bloom or only bloom very little in the coming years if you have removed too many young shoots.
Care cutting in autumn
When pruning in autumn, remove all:
- Dried branches
- Very old shoots
- shoot tips
- Branches growing across the bush
The cut is made directly on the branch or near the ground.
The Rejuvenation Cut
If the quince is very overgrown, a rejuvenation cut will help it bloom again. Please note, however, that the ornamental quince will produce fewer flowers next year.
To rejuvenate, cut approximately a third of all shoots. Above all, branches growing inwards must be removed.
Cutting shoot tips
Short the shoot tips of the ornamental quince regularly. This makes the bush bushier and denser. You can cut back shoot tips at any time and use them for propagation from cuttings in early summer.
Since most ornamental quince varieties are very thorny, you should always work with leather work gloves (€14.00 on Amazon) to avoid injuring yourself.
Tips & Tricks
When planting a wild fruit hedge made from quince, sea buckthorn, blackthorn and other wild shrubs, you can avoid cutting them at all. Here you only have to shorten if the hedge spreads too much.
